I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud. To view my photography site, see Lisa Kay Photography.

In a new interview with TV Guide, Derek addresses questions about Ricki’s final dances and what he thinks about Rob and J.R. (more below). He also discusses the judges remarks and the impact they’ve had on Ricki and the other contestants. Derek is also very aware that he’s had a perfect winning record whenever he’s been in the finals. More on this at the link. Great interview!

You have four dances now. How are you both handling it?
Hough: It’s outrageous! Last week, when we had three, because we had so much to do, it was almost laughable. It was like, “We can’t even cry about it. We have to embrace it.” I feel like that’s the attitude this week too — just embrace the workload and be excited and feel like you’ve won as far as getting this far and doing well.

Your freestyles are always fun. What do you have up your sleeve this time?
Hough: I do have an idea. I’ve been playing around with it in my head, but I haven’t put it to paper yet, so I don’t want to say it out loud. But I think it could be really cool if it all goes according to plan. We’ll see how it shakes out.

What do you think of Rob and J.R.? The show has played up your rivalry with J.R.
Hough: Yeah, but that’s all in fun. It’s nothing serious. We’re all really good friends and happy to be in the finals together. I think Rob in Week 1, you’d go, “He probably wouldn’t be in the finals.” I think he would say the same thing. But it’s literally been incredible to see how far he’s come, not just in dancing, but also as a person. But from Week 1, I definitely felt like J.R. would be here. He’s definitely the most natural as far as ability goes and I hope his ankle’s all right. I think he’ll be fine. With Rob and Ricki, they both started from ground zero. But there’s no rivalry between any of us. We said after [Tuesday’s] show, “Let’s just have fun.” It’s going to be a happy final. We’re going to go out and have a good time and whoever wins wins.

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud. To view my photography site, see Lisa Kay Photography.

Maks has written a new blog for TV Guide. He writes of Hope and his elimination and whether they had anything to do with not doing Jimmy Kimmel LIVE and Good Morning America afterwards which you can read on at the link as well as him thanking his fans. He also discusses the final three and what’s next for him including wanting to dance. He’s not planning to take a season off. If he’s not back next season, it wasn’t up to him. More from Maks below….

I think we have a great final three. I’ve become really close friends with Rob. I think he’s peaking at the perfect time. He’s a great guy, very easygoing. There’s no drama. He’s a cool kid. I wish him all the best. I also really, really like Ricki as a person. She and Val are even closer than she and I are. We’ve been to her house multiple times. I think anybody would be a fool not to root for J.R. given who he represents and how great he is. Everything about him screams Dancing winner. I’m kind of torn. This is the one of those times that I kind of don’t envy, I guess, the fans that have to choose who to root for. It’s a tough decision. I’ve been fortunate to have had that much support that I was in the semis for four seasons straight. I consider myself lucky to have such great fans. I just hope I’ve made them proud.

What’s next for me? I have no immediate plans at the moment. I’m not even sure if we’re going to be at the finale! Hope had to leave and take care of some personal things she had been putting on hold. I have no idea what’s going on. Wednesday was my first day of calmness and normality. I didn’t have to set my alarm for the first time in three months and I jumped out of bed at 8:30 going thinking I had something to do, but I didn’t! No rehearsals, no interviews, nothing! Sometimes it’s hard to let go after a season, but I’m looking forward to some time off.

I don’t think I’m planning anything. I think for once I’ll let others do the planning. I just want to enjoy my time off. There’s been controversy this season with what I say. I feel like I get in trouble because I try to explain myself in detail and it turns out people don’t want explanations. Our job as entertainers is to dance and smile and be happy. You open up yourself entirely to the world to be judged. One thing that I feel like I want to do is if I do open myself like this and allow people to judge me is to make sure my conscience is clear as far as saying my piece and making sure I was clear with my message. If after that some people disagree with my message, I have no hard feelings. I want to make sure looking back at this years from now, I was clear, expressive, smiling because I want to be and not smiling because I have to be. We’re given a platform to express ourselves, but we’re not allowed to express ourselves. What is that about that? It is a business and like any business you have to do certain things to work and I’ve done it. But I’ve been myself. Some people send me articles or some people tweet me nasty stuff. It does hurt sometimes, but it is what it is. There’s something about being politically correct that I have a problem with. For a while, I couldn’t pinpoint why I disagreed with it, but I realized people don’t like politicians because we feel like they sometimes represent an idea and not necessarily us and so why would I try to be politically correct? Why would I not try to be me? I just want to make sure whatever I do I do wholeheartedly and I have my best intentions in mind. At the end of the day, looking back, I can sleep well at night knowing that I was honest and true.

As far as next season, I’m not thinking about that at all. I just don’t know how far ahead I can plan right now. There were developments before this season that affected my decision. During the season, there were some developments that kept me thinking about what I should do. I’ll try to do what’s right for my personal future. I’m sorry if that sounds selfish. But I will absolutely take into consideration my fans and what they want. I can say that at this point, I don’t plan on taking any seasons off. If I’m not back next season, it wasn’t up to me. And if I do change my mind and want to take a break, I’ll announce it. That’s as much as I can do.

I don’t know what to think of the above words, but, right now, I think it might do him a world of good to have a season off to really think about things and how they went down this Season. I do think Maks is misunderstood a lot. However, so many things he did this season are hard to get past? As a big Maks fan, it makes me sad. Can I get past how I feel about him right now? It’s up to him. He has some growing to do (as we all do in our lives at times). I know one thing… I’d like to see the Maks come back that we saw last season.

Adding: Below are some cool new pics of Maks! He made a visit to the Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles today to deliver toys and books to the children participating in dance therapy. He danced and interacted in the Mark Taper-Johnny Mercer Artists Program which brings a wide array of arts experiences to critically and chronically ill children, teens, and families. The donated toys were collected by Cost Plus World Market as a part of the Share the Joy program. You view even more photos at Wire Image.

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud. To view my photography site, see Lisa Kay Photography.

Just a couple of FYI’s on our Dancing With The Stars Pros today!! First, be sure to pick up the new People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” issue. Derek Hough was considered as one of the candidates for 2011! Are we surprised? I think not with those “boy next door” good looks and those fabulous and sexy abs he’s been sporting. Stay tuned to Pure Derek Hough as I’m sure Heidi will have a new picture of Derek soon from the issue.

Also, Mark Ballas has been chosen to judge Miss America coming up. The new 2012 Miss America crowning will take place at the Theatre for the Performing Arts in Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 14, 2012. Mark is following the footsteps of Tony Dovolani who judged the contest last season. You can read more on the pageant here.

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud. To view my photography site, see Lisa Kay Photography.

ABC released some official details for Dancing With The Stars next week. Note how Monday night’s show will only be a “one hour” show. The remaining three finalist will perform 2 dances; a “new dance” they haven’t done and the famous “Freestyle” dance. Then on Tuesday, the couples will perform their “favorite dance” of the season and an “Instant Samba”. More below as well as details on how all 12 couples will return to the dance floor. The troupe and pros Kym Johnson, Dmitry Chaplin, Peta Murgatroyd, and Val Chmerkovskiy will be performing to Lady Antebellum’s debut single, “Dancing Away with My Heart”. Be sure to read the full press release at the link. Note how fans will only get to vote on Monday night’s performances.

In the final one-hour performance show on MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET), all three couples will compete against one another with two dances. The first number is a style the couples have not yet done. Then, all three contenders will perform the always popular and fan favorite Freestyle dances.

The anticipation builds and the competition continues for the two-hour Season Finale on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET), as the three finalists perform their favorite dance of the season. The two couples with the highest combined fan votes and judges’ scores will then go on to perform the Instant Samba to determine who will reign as champions of “Dancing with the Stars” and take home the coveted mirror ball trophy. Also on Tuesday, each of this season’s 12 couples returns to the dance floor for a special performance.

On Tuesday’s spectacular Season Finale, Lady Antebellum comes to the ballroom for the television debut of “Dancing Away with My Heart” off their new album, “Own the Night,” accompanied by Troupe members Sasha, Teddy, Kiki, Sharna, Dasha and Oksana on the dance floor. They’ll then perform their megahit “Need You Now,” accompanied by “DWTS” pros Kym, Dmitry, Peta and Val. Platinum certified album “Own the Night” debuted at the No. 1 position on Billboard’s Top 200 album chart in the U.S. and in Canada this September, becoming the biggest first week debut by a Country artist this year. Its current Top 5 hit, “We Owned the Night,” follows the album’s chart topping lead single, “Just a Kiss.” The trio’s three studio albums have sold over seven million copies across the globe, spawned five No. 1 hits, scored six Grammys and over a dozen other award show trophies. They are currently out on the road headlining the first leg of their Own the Night 2011 Tour, which was recently extended into 2012.

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud. To view my photography site, see Lisa Kay Photography.

Hope chatted to Seattle’s Komo News about her elimination and experience on Dancing With The Stars. “I learned A LOT about reality television,” she says. She also said she definitely doesn’t fit into the “Hollywood world”. She describes the physical toll it took on her body and said, “it was pretty intense.” Looking back and over all, she said “What an experience” and she pulled it off lasting to the semi-finals. At the end, the interviewers talk of how the network pulled the Jimmy Kimmel and GMA appearances after the elimination. Hope had her dress ready and everything. They think it’s because the network thought they were “loose cannons”. More at the link and video below.

Stay tuned. For those interested and if you haven’t heard yet, Hope will be Anderson Cooper’s guest on his new daytime talk show Tuesday, November 22nd.

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud. To view my photography site, see Lisa Kay Photography.

Check out Brooke Burke on Good Morning America today! She takes us behind the scenes as she prepares for her gig every week on Dancing With The Stars starting from the time she wakes up in the mornings. She’s a very “hands on” Mom as you will see. They go backstage as she prepares with make-up, her dresses (which she has to get “approved” by the producers every week just in case they won’t look good on LIVE TV), and her scripts. They go through the two hour process of dress rehearsals and the interviews as well for what they might be like. Derek makes an appearance at the end. Too cute!

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud. To view my photography site, see Lisa Kay Photography.

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud. To view my photography site, see Lisa Kay Photography.